‘Yes, Dad.’
My sassy comment came with a very watery smile, which produced that small one of his, barely changing his face. He reached for my hand, leading me to the ladder on the boat. Keeping hold of it, he climbed down into waist-height water, ordering me to sit so he didn’t have to relinquish me, and then I followed him.
The minute I was in the water, I felt my shoulders relax and I let go of the death grip I had on his fingers. ‘Thank you,’ was all I could mumble.
‘No problem. Hero complex,’ he said, smirking at me.
The clear turquoise water was heavenly. I could see schools of fish swimming alongside us and a couple of stingrays dancing through the water. The shore was not far off. A strip of sandy beach surrounded a mass of tropical-looking trees so thick it almost looked like a mini rainforest.
Behind me, the sound of the boat’s motor kicked in and they drove off. I had a slight panic.
‘Where are they going?’
‘Just around to the other side of the island. We can walk.’
‘You’ve done this before?’
‘Yes,’ he said, but did not elaborate.
He was quite the man of mystery, not offering up information unless directly questioned. I held on to the questions that I wanted to pepper him with, for now, acknowledging that part of my interest in Nick was the intrigue of him. I was already realising he was someone who opened up slowly, and I was well aware that, with only two weeks here, it was unlikely I was ever going to ‘know’ know him.
We climbed most of the way out of the water until it was just at our ankles and then we began walking around the island, pointing out tropical fish to each other. We got to a particular spot he had said he was looking for, although I could not see any landmarks indicating it was important. We must then have walked for maybe another ten or fifteen minutes inland. He helped me over a couple of rocky sections, holding my hand. We walked until I could hear the patter of running water, when we suddenly came upon a waterfall running into a turquoise-green lagoon. It was exquisite.
He scrambled off a rock into a clearing and then reached up for me, letting me slide down his body before setting me on the sand. I didn’t move away from him, instead just standing in his strong arms, braced against his hip.
He stepped back though, and I hastily busied myself looking around, not quite sure what to make of him pulling away. Was he feeling awkward? Or just being gentlemanly? You could never tell with the British.
There was no sign of the boat kids, but our bags had already been dropped off and a small table with two dining chairs was set up beside the water. A white styrofoam esky was next to the table and Nick made himself busy pulling out drinks. He handed me a small bottle of water, and we both drank thirstily, before he popped the cork on the champagne bottle and poured two cold glasses.
I was already fluttery in the stomach from the boat ride and, honestly, just being near him, but when our fingers grazed as he handed me a glass, heat surged through me somewhere very low and I downed the champagne with complete disregard for the quality of the wine, which again tasted expensive and delicious. I just needed to take the edge off. My nerves and my desire were combining to make me feel increasingly strange.
I held up my empty glass, and he chuckled at me.
‘Bloody Aussies,’ he said under his breath.
‘Oh, excuse me, sir, from the mother country,’ I said poshly, before switching back to the common little Australian I was. ‘Just fucking top me up.’
He smirked, downed the rest of his glass, and refilled them both, his eyes crinkling as he laughed.
‘My hero,’ I said softly, batting my eyelashes at him.
He shook his head, smiling at the sarcasm.
‘Wow, it is really beautiful here,’ I said, finally dragging my eyes from the beauty in front of me and acknowledging the surrounds. I had never been in a lagoon before, or under a waterfall. ‘Are there any crocodiles or anything?’
‘No. It is completely safe. Unlike holidaying in Australia, which – as the rest of the world knows – is fraught with danger.’
‘A little danger is good for the soul.’
‘Pfft. You are full of shit.’
‘Fine. I’mtolddanger is good for the soul.’ I snorted and finished my second glass. ‘You coming in? I mean, I have had two glasses of wine, so anything could happen to me unless a man is on hand.’
He flashed a sardonic smile. I waited while he finished his drink and then we walked to the edge together and dived in.
‘Let’s go under the waterfall,’ I said with the excitement of an eight-year-old. ‘I’ve never done that before.’
I swam until I got to the edge of the waterfall, which was violently loud up close, and I reached out, feeling the force of it pound against my hand, before swimming behind it. I found a rock ledge, conveniently made by nature, for us to sit on. I did a quick risk assessment of my ability to get on and off it, and then, using my hands, feet and knees, I climbed up out of the water. It was breathtaking and louder than a nightclub in there. I felt my spirit soar, a sense of adventure coursing through my veins.
